The Crying Tone is a total redesign of an original EHX wah/volume that was produced in the mid-'70s. It doesn't have any moving parts, footswitches, optics, potentiometers or magnetics to produce its vocal-like wah.

The Crying Tone resembles a slim, contoured brick with an angular bottom that allows you to rock the wah back and forth on the floor. It features input and output jacks, a calibration button (important for adjusting its sweep depending upon the slope of the surface), and operates with a 9V battery or optional power supply.

The Electro-Harmonix Crying Tone Wah is unlike any other wah you’ve ever played. One thing you can say about the Crying Tone is it’s virtually indestructible, as evidenced by a popular YouTube video of it being abused. Having this bulletproof construction is crucial because it stands alone on the floor and you’re forcibly rocking its rectangular chassis on a flat surface.

Simply tipping forward on the pedal lights up the EHX logo at the center of the rubber treadle and engages the wah effect. The wah has a full sweep range, although it will take some finesse with your foot to control it from belching its very pronounced “wah” effect. It won’t hold a fixed position like a traditional wah, but it’s a whole lot of fun to have your foot freely rock the pedal to coax some very vintage-like wah tones — just be careful not to kick it across the stage!

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